As Anne of Green Gables once said, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” We couldn’t agree more, Anne!
October ushers in a unique atmosphere characterized by crisp air, vibrant foliage, pumpkins, and festive celebrations. It also carries a hint of spookiness, with numerous haunted walking tours throughout North Alabama that explore the region’s paranormal activity. Here are some must-attend events happening in North Alabama this October:
McGee Farm Pumpkin Patch
Located in Florence, McGee Farm Pumpkin Patch is celebrating its 27th year of welcoming visitors to find the ideal pumpkin for carving or cooking. You can choose to pick your own pumpkin straight off the vine or select from pre-picked options. With over 25 varieties available, you can find pumpkins ranging from the size of a child’s hand to hefty 200-pound giants!
In addition to an array of pumpkins, you can enjoy farm activities such as hay play, scenic tractor-drawn wagon rides, barnyard bounces, and chicken feeding.
If you’d like to take home a piece of autumn, fall decorations like straw bales, corn stalks, and mini gourds can also be purchased. McGee Farm also grows colorful mums that are available each year, allowing you to select from thousands of pots and various colors.
After picking pumpkins, feel free to grab a bite at The Kitchen at McGee Farm, where you can savor home-cooked country favorites like white beans, cornbread, soups, muffins, homemade treats, pies, and more. There’s also a lovely picnic area beneath a massive oak tree to relax and enjoy the scenic views. Homemade jams, jellies, and relishes are available for purchase, perfect for enjoying at home or giving as gifts during the holiday season. Open from September 30 to October 31: Monday-Friday 3-6 PM, Saturday 10 AM-6 PM, Sunday 1-5 PM.
Belue Place Pumpkin Patch
Visit Belue Place Pumpkin Patch for an authentic family farm experience where you can find your perfect pumpkin. Located in Lexington, this working farm is open on weekends throughout October, offering families a chance to enjoy farm life and create lasting memories while picking their pumpkins. Kids can take a hayride to the pumpkin patch and select their own pumpkins. Other activities include hay loft jumping, cow train rides, tire mountains, horse tire swings, corn crib play areas, hay tunnels, pumpkin painting, and storytelling.
The farm is home to various friendly animals that visitors can observe or pet, including baby goats, miniature horses, rabbits, pigs, chickens, baby chicks, ducks, and guineas.
Operating hours are Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM. Guests are encouraged to maintain social distancing of six feet from anyone outside their immediate family. Admission is $15 per person, which grants access to all areas of the pumpkin patch, including one pumpkin per person and all activities.
Belue Place Pumpkin Patch is located at 700 County Road 513 in Lexington, Alabama. For more details, visit or call 256-366-6277.
Hidden Rivers Farm Pumpkin Patch
Experience the joy of picking the perfect pumpkin, navigating a maze, and engaging in farm life activities at Hidden Rivers Farm, located in Hartselle. This family-owned farm will be open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until October 30, offering an exciting range of activities for all ages. Enjoy a themed maze, animal encounters, pony rides, a corn pit, and new additions this year such as nature trail hikes and climbing mountains made of tires. For football enthusiasts, a tailgate tent featuring two televisions, cornhole games, and seating areas will be available, providing the ideal spot to tailgate while the kids enjoy the activities. Food trucks and grills will also be on-site.
Operating hours are Fridays from 4 PM to 8 PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 7 PM. Hidden Rivers Farm is located at 295 Goose Pond Road in Hartselle.
Cornutt Farms
For those seeking both pumpkins and breathtaking blooms, Cornutt Farms offers the best of both worlds. This working crop and cattle farm in Boaz invites the public to its pumpkin and sunflower fields every Saturday until October 29.
This year, Cornutt Farms has combined its sunflower patch with their expansive 15-acre pumpkin patch. Visitors can select their own home-grown pumpkins right from the vine, while also choosing the most stunning sunflowers from the fields, which provide perfect backdrops for family photos. The farm will host various on-farm activities for everyone to enjoy.
Admission to the pumpkin patch is $10 per person (cash) or $11 (credit card), and entry is free for children under two. Admission includes one free pumpkin, five free sunflowers, a hayride to the pumpkin patch, access to the petting zoo, corn cribs, a tractor playground, turbo slide, cow trains, a bouncy house, and several new attractions. Hours are 9 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays from September 24 to October 29. For more information, visit www.cornuttfarms.com or call 256-572-6347.
Festifall at Huntsville Botanical Garden
Nothing embodies FALL quite like Festifall at the Huntsville Botanical Garden! This two-month celebration highlights the changing seasons with pumpkins, scarecrows, campouts, nature hikes, and more. As the air grows crisper and the leaves begin to change, there’s no better place to connect with nature and admire the beauty of autumn.
Dare to GoFAR at GoFAR USA Park
Dare to take a hayride into the Haunted Forest at GoFAR USA Park! Hang out by the campfires, enjoy s’mores, watch movies on a large screen, climb the rock wall, and engage in some paintball fun. Operating hours are Fridays and Saturdays in October, with gates opening at 6 PM and hayrides running from 7 PM to 10 PM. The last ride departs at 9:30 PM.
Athens Haunt Walks
In honor of Halloween, Athens-Limestone County Tourism offers haunted walking tours throughout October, allowing visitors and locals to explore downtown by night. Athens Haunts Walk tours take place every Tuesday and Thursday, providing a spooky 90-minute tour that unveils paranormal activities, eerie legends, and ghostly stories in the historic downtown area.
Experienced and engaging guides will share tales of hauntings related to 13 notable sites, including stories of a college student who tragically fell to her death and now roams Athens State University’s Founders Hall, and recounting the devastating 1893 fire that consumed wooden buildings on Marion Street. The tours also include a stop at Founders Hall, where students from what was then the Athens Female Institute witnessed battles between Union and Confederate soldiers, and the Houston Library steps, where people gathered during the election of George Houston as Alabama’s first post-Reconstruction governor.
Now in its 15th year, Athens Haunt Walk caters to both children (grades 4 and up) and adults. Participants can be believers or skeptics of the supernatural, but all will learn more about Athens and its colorful history.
The tours run every Tuesday and Thursday night in October at 7 PM and 7:30 PM. Adult tickets are $15, while kids’ tickets are $10; wagon tours are available at 6:30 PM for $25. All tickets must be purchased in advance through www.Eventbrite.com.
All tours start from the Athens-Limestone County Tourism office at Big Springs Memorial Park (100 N. Beaty Street). Guests should arrive 10-15 minutes before the tour starts. Each walk lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers a distance of one mile, so please wear comfortable shoes.
Cullman Oktoberfest
For over thirty years, Cullman has celebrated its German heritage with a family-friendly festival highlighting all things German. One of North Alabama’s largest and most anticipated events, the Cullman Oktoberfest will take place in downtown Cullman from October 3-5. During this three-day festival, the entire Cullman community rolls out the welcome mat to invite everyone to enjoy various activities, including a biergarten, an arts and crafts show, live German music, kids’ activities, a bratwurst eating contest, and much more.
Oktoberfest kicks off at 4 PM on Thursday, October 3, with the opening of the biergarten, followed by a parade at 6 PM featuring Bavarian jugglers and talented entertainers in traditional German attire. A new beer wagon pulled by Clydesdales will lead the way. Official opening ceremonies and the keg tapping will immediately follow the parade, with live music, costume contests for adults and children, the crowning of Miss Oktoberfest, brat eating contests, and candlelight walking tours happening throughout the evening. High-energy dueling pianos will bring their exciting performance to the biergarten at 9 PM.
Festivities on Friday, October 4, begin at 10 AM and include street entertainment, music, brat eating contests, costume contests, German food vendors, and craft vendors. Dueling pianos will return to the biergarten at 9 PM.
Family-friendly activities continue on Saturday, October 5, at 10 AM with the opening of the arts and crafts show and children’s area. Other scheduled events include wiener dog races, live music, a pet costume contest and parade, stein hoisting contests for adults and kids, and a brat eating contest, along with a biergarten and delicious German food vendors. Dueling pianos will once again perform at 9 PM in the biergarten.
Oktoberfest activities will take place in the warehouse district along First Avenue. Additional activities are expected in the community leading up to the event. For more information, including a detailed schedule of events, visit online at or call (256) 734-9157.
Festifall at Huntsville Botanical Garden
Nothing embodies FALL quite like Festifall at the Huntsville Botanical Garden! This two-month celebration highlights the changing seasons with pumpkins, scarecrows, campouts, nature hikes, and more. As the air grows crisper and the leaves begin to change, there’s no better place to connect with nature and admire the beauty of autumn.
Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention
Next month, thousands of visitors and musicians will flock to the North Alabama town of Athens for the “Granddaddy of Midsouth Fiddlers Conventions.” The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention will return to Athens State University from October 2-5. In addition to crowning a new Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddle champion, this three-day event features concerts, food vendors, and an arts and crafts market celebrating authentic craftsmanship.
Attracting approximately 15,000 folk music fans and over 200 musicians competing for more than $47,000 in prize money across 19 categories, including fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bluegrass, and more, the convention culminates in the crowning of the champion on Saturday evening. Competition begins on Friday at 7 PM and resumes on Saturday at 9:30 AM, with finals taking place on the Founders Hall stage starting at 7 PM.
In addition to competitions, attendees can enjoy concerts, many of which are free. All concerts will be held on the main stage at Founders Hall.
Wednesday, October 2 at 7:30 PM: Darin & Brooke Aldridge (Special gospel concert – FREE admission)
Thursday, October 3 at 6:30 PM: The McLain Family Band
Thursday, October 3 at 7:30 PM: Authentic Unlimited
Friday, October 4 at 6 PM: Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Saturday, October 5 at 7:30 PM: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
The convention will also include a variety of food vendors and about 150 old-fashioned juried arts and crafts booths showcasing handmade treasures.
Admission costs $20 for adults on Friday, $20 on Saturday, or $25 for a weekend pass. Children under 12 are free with a paid adult. Tickets are available at the gate or online. In case of rain, the competition will take place in Carter Gymnasium, which has a limited capacity. Pets and coolers are not allowed, and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. For more details, visit http://www.tvotfc.org.
Boaz Harvest Festival
As October approaches, towns across North Alabama prepare for festive fall celebrations. The Boaz Harvest Festival invites everyone to downtown Boaz for two days of family-friendly fun from October 4-5, featuring live music, arts and crafts, contests, a car show, a beauty pageant, and much more.
As cooler temperatures arrive, this festival is perfect for enjoying outdoor activities. Expect various arts and crafts vendors offering unique goodies as gospel, country, and bluegrass music fills the air. Enjoy a classic car, truck, and jeep show, a cornhole tournament, a pumpkin contest, and mouthwatering food trucks. On Saturday, the car, truck, jeep, motorcycle, and tractor show will take place from 8 AM to 12 PM, while the Miss Harvest Festival pageant kicks off at 9 AM at the Old Mill Park. Many of the downtown area shops will also host sidewalk sales and special promotions.
This free event, now in its 60th year, takes place from Bartlett Avenue to Old Mill Park in downtown Boaz, from 8 AM to 6 PM on both days. For more information about the Harvest Festival, contact the Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce at 256-593-8154.
Cruise and Croon
Presented by the All American Cruisers, Downtown Oneonta is excited to welcome back its outdoor celebration of cars, music, shopping, and dining on the first Saturday of every month through October 2024.
Cruise and Croon invites locals and visitors to showcase classic cars while enjoying music and shopping. Classic car owners from the area will display their vehicles, while merchants will extend their hours for event-goers to browse and shop. A DJ will provide a lively atmosphere with great tunes, ensuring an enjoyable family-friendly night.
For more information, check out the All American Cruisers Facebook page for updates.
Scottsboro BBQ Festival
The delicious aroma of slow-cooked barbecue fills downtown Scottsboro on the second Saturday in October during the annual Scottsboro BBQ Festival. This single-day event attracts award-winning pitmasters and local barbecue enthusiasts competing for the title of the best chicken, ribs, pulled pork, and desserts, all while raising funds for local charities. The festival also features a variety of activities to keep everyone entertained throughout the day.
Scheduled for Saturday, October 12, the Scottsboro BBQ Festival is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and the Alabama Barbeque Association and will include three competitions. The backyard division is for serious grill enthusiasts vying for the grand champion title, while people can purchase $10 tickets to sample up to 10 butts and desserts in the people’s choice competition and vote for their favorites. Kids aged 7 to 12 can participate in the Kids-Q to see who can make the best burger.
Additional activities include the Barq-Off dog parade with prizes for best costume, best groomed, and best performer, an official Alabama cornhole tournament, a car, truck, and cycle show, a beer garden, food vendors, and vendors selling arts and crafts. Kids can enjoy a free fun zone, complete with inflatables, games, climbing walls, and pumpkin bowling. The festival runs from 9 AM to 7 PM, and admission is free. All events will take place in Downtown Square at 316 S Broad Street, Scottsboro. For more information, visit http://scottsborobbqcookoff.com/.
Alabama Wine Festival
Don’t miss the Alabama Wine Festival on Saturday, October 26, from 2 PM to 6 PM at Wills Creek Vineyards and Winery near Attalla in Duck Springs! Wineries from around Alabama will showcase wines available for sampling and purchase. Enjoy delicious food from local food trucks and live music! This is an adults-only event, and IDs will be checked. Tickets purchased online are $30 per person and $40 at the gate. Designated driver wristbands will be available free of charge at the gate (please note that designated drivers must be at least 21 years old).
River Clay Fine Arts Festival
The River Clay Fine Arts Festival takes place on October 26-27, showcasing the talents of 70 local and national artists who will display their unique creations in the River City. Attendees can explore an artist market, enjoy chalk art, view student art exhibits, and listen to live music throughout the event.
Launched in 2015 to connect artists with art enthusiasts, this juried festival welcomes talented creators from 13 different states, offering a diverse range of artworks—including ceramics, drawings, fiber, glass, jewelry, metalwork, mixed media, paintings, photography, printmaking, sculptures, and woodworks. Children of all ages are invited to participate in a dedicated art area with fun activities designed to stimulate creativity.
The festival also celebrates emerging talent by showcasing artwork created by local school students. Festivalgoers will enjoy displays featuring students’ creations from public and private schools in Decatur City, Hartselle City, and Morgan County.
Alongside a chance to purchase one-of-a-kind pieces, visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the artists and learn more about their work. Food trucks will be on location, providing delicious options for festival-goers, with beer and wine available for purchase.
The River Clay Festival is hosted at Decatur City Hall, located at 402 Lee Street NE in downtown Decatur. Hours are 9 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, October 26, and 10 AM to 4 PM on Sunday, October 27. A weekend pass is $5 per person, and children 12 and under are free with an accompanying adult.
Blount County Covered Bridge Festival
With three historic covered bridges still standing today, Blount County is known as the Covered Bridge Capital of Alabama. Each year, a one-day festival in downtown Oneonta celebrates this legacy. Scheduled for Saturday, October 12, the Blount County Covered Bridge Festival offers a fun-filled day for families, including a quilt show, arts and crafts, a rib cook-off, a car show, live music, delicious food, and self-guided tours of the nearby covered bridges.
The centerpiece of the festival is the arts and crafts show, held in Oneonta’s entertainment district, where vendors will showcase a wide variety of homemade items, handcrafted jewelry, artworks, and unique woodwork. Festival attendees can also enjoy a show of classic cars, trucks, farm tractors, emergency service vehicles, and motorcycles at the Cruise-In from 9 AM to 2 PM.
The festival runs from 9 AM to 4 PM, with free admission. For more information, visit the festival’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CoveredBridgeFest or contact the Chamber office at 205-274-2153.
Downtown Decatur 3rd Friday
Downtown Decatur’s 3rd Friday invites both locals and visitors to explore the downtown area through an evening of family-friendly entertainment. This monthly street party sees antique cars parked on Second Avenue between Lee and Moulton Streets, and line dancers performing in the intersection of Moulton Street. Children can enjoy a variety of exciting activities in the kid’s zone, located between Johnston Street and Grant Street.
Festival-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, or they can relax on the front porch offered by Merit House, which provides a great view of last year’s popular attraction— the mechanical bull, located in front of Absaroka. Visitors can try their luck with the mechanical bull for a $5 ride. For those feeling hungry, there are plenty of locally owned restaurants and food trucks set up on Grant Street, complete with tables and chairs for comfortable dining.
Additionally, festival-goers can take advantage of specials, giveaways, and discounts at select downtown stores, along with unique items from artists and craft vendors showcasing handmade goods along Second Avenue from Moulton to Johnston Street.
The 3rd Friday festivities occur solely in the 2nd Avenue area, including Holly, Moulton, Johnston, and Grant Streets. Streets begin to close at 4:30 PM, with traffic restrictions in place from 5:30 to 8:30 PM, blocking Second Avenue from Gordon Drive to Lee Street and Moulton Street from First Avenue to Goody 2 Shoes. Cross streets Johnston and Grant will also close before entering Second Avenue, allowing guests access to public parking lots.
For further details about 3rd Friday, visit www.facebook.com/3rdfridaydowntown/.
Alabama Gourd Show
Prepare to be amazed by an impressive display of unique handmade creations from gourds at the Alabama Gourd Show, returning to Hartselle on October 18-19 at the Sparkman Civic Center. This annual event celebrates the beauty and versatility of gourds, featuring masterfully crafted works from hundreds of artisans, crafters, and growers.
If you’re interested in getting hands-on, classes led by experienced gourd artists will be available (a fee may apply). Nine different gourd art crafting classes, where participants can create their own handcrafted gourd, will be offered each day. For further details and to register for a class, visit www.alabamagourdsociety.org and navigate to the classes section.
Show hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM on both days, and all activities will take place at the Sparkman Civic Center at 406 Nance Ford Road SW in Hartselle. Admission is free. For more information, contact Show Chair Emmitt Westmoreland at gourdzilla@aol.com.
Athens Storytelling Festival
Experience the art of storytelling with some of the nation’s most acclaimed storytellers at the Athens Storytelling Festival, taking place from October 22-26 at Athens State University. Now in its seventeenth year, this festival will captivate audiences with tales of adventure and excitement told under a grand tent on campus at 300 N. Beaty Street, just a short walk from downtown Athens. Event hours are from 9 AM to 8:50 PM on Friday and 9 AM to 8:55 PM on Saturday.
Festival-goers can enjoy food from local vendors while discovering eclectic shops nearby that offer a range of antiques, gifts, gourmet foods, clothing, and hardware. A free shuttle service will operate between the festival tent grounds and downtown Athens.
Tickets for all events (excluding school days) are $95 for adults and $55 for children aged 16 years and under. Options for tickets to specific events or daily admission are available. Tickets can also be purchased at UG White Mercantile located on the square in downtown Athens. Ticket holders must collect their wristbands for entry at the Ticket Office, which opens one hour prior to festival events.
For detailed ticket pricing, a biography of each storyteller, and the complete schedule of events, visit www.athensstorytellingfestival.com.
Buttahatchee River Fall Festival
Everyone is invited to enjoy free family fun at the Buttahatchee River Fall Festival hosted by the Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce on the last Saturday of October. The 17th annual festival, set for October 26, will offer a day of arts and crafts, live music, classic car displays, a kid’s area, and much more, running from 9 AM to 3 PM.
Festival attendees can admire vintage cars lining the streets of downtown Hamilton during the car show, while kids’ activities and live music keep the atmosphere lively. Shoppers can seek out unique sales from local merchants and discover treasures among the various arts and crafts vendors. The motorcycle benefit ride will take place at 10 AM (weather permitting), with registration from 8:30 to 10 AM for a fee of $20 per bike.
Hosted by the Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce, the festival will be held in Hamilton around the Court Square of the Marion County Courthouse and throughout the downtown area. Traffic will be restricted along 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th avenues southwest and 1st and 2nd streets southwest. Admission is free. The festival is named for the Buttahatchee River, which winds through Hamilton and connects with the Tombigbee River in Mississippi.
For further information, visit www.brff.org or call 205-921-7786 or 205-952-9884.
DeSoto State Park’s Spookapalooza
DeSoto State Park will host the 12th annual Spookapalooza Pumpkin Carving Contest from October 21 to 27. Participants’ entries will be evaluated based on overall appearance, creativity, neatness, and originality. All ages are encouraged to submit their work. Entries must be delivered to DeSoto’s Country Store by noon on Saturday, October 26 (a table will be set up on the porch). Winners will be announced on Sunday, October 27 via DeSoto’s social media platforms (#desotostatepark).
Campers in DeSoto State Park have a long-standing tradition of decorating their campsites for Halloween, and this year, there will also be a campsite decorating contest. The Spookapalooza Spooktacular Campsite Contest will award prizes for the best-decorated sites, including free camping. Awards will be given for first, second, and third places, as well as for the most creative.
Winners will also be announced on Sunday, October 27 via social media.
For more information on events around Lookout Mountain in DeKalb County, contact DeKalb Tourism at 888-805-4740 or visit www.VisitLookoutMountain.com. For accommodation needs, check www.visitlookoutmountain.com/where-to-stay-dekalb-county.
LaGrange College Site Haunted Hayride
The Haunted Hayride at LaGrange College Site in Leighton will take place every Saturday night in October from dusk until 11 PM. Prepare for a thrilling experience with various scary attractions!
Huntsville Train Depot
The Huntsville Train Depot is an excellent location to learn about the railroad history in North Alabama, and it is said to be haunted! During the Civil War, some Confederate soldiers were held prisoner at the Depot. Legend has it that soldiers can still be heard and seen wandering the second and third floors, and a train engineer has been spotted checking the tracks.
Huntsville Ghost Walks
The Huntsville Ghost Walks are back this fall on Fridays and Saturdays throughout September and October. Starting at 6 PM from Harrison Brothers Hardware Store at 124 South Side Square, the tours also include Saturday walks at 8:30 PM. Choose from three guided tours through the Twickenham District, the Old Town District, or the Downtown District to hear stories from Huntsville’s haunted history and learn why some spirits linger. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children aged 12 and under. (from www.huntsvilleghostwalk.com)
Southern Ghost Girls Tours and Paranormal Investigations
Join the Southern Ghost Girls Tours this fall for exploring some of the mysterious places in North Alabama!
Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll
Mark your calendars for the Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll, a beloved seasonal tradition in Huntsville! This year’s stroll will occur on Sunday, October 20, from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM at 203 Maple Hill Drive (at California St. and McClung Ave.).
Dead Children’s Playground
Behind Maple Hill Cemetery lies the mysterious Dead Children’s Playground. Legend has it that the spirits of children buried in the nearby cemetery come out to play. Many have reported seeing swings move by themselves. Explore this intriguing story and more on We Are Huntsville’s 5 Huntsville Ghost Stories blog.
